Klim Kostin Makes It Very Clear Where He Wants To Sign
In a new interview with Sport-Express in Russia, bruising forward Klim Kostin, an unrestricted free agent, has made it very clear exactly where he would like to land for the coming NHL season. And that would be with the team with whom he had the most success in his six-year career: the Edmonton Oilers.
In Edmonton I wanted to die on the ice for the fans.
There are rumors that the Oilers might make an offer too. Of course, this is my dream. They say you can’t step into the same river twice, but I would like to try my luck again. This is the place where I felt most comfortable and was myself.
In his lone season in Edmonton in 2022-23, Kostin became a fan favorite, and as he said, he laid it all out there on the ice for them. In 57 games, he recorded 11 goals and 21 points in just 10:04 average ice time per night. He also handed out 157 hits with his 6'4", 232-pound frame. And then there was this battle with Pat Maroon that won him the fans' favour for good:
Kostin standing up for McDavid and drops the gloves with Maroon. Klim Kostin this city is officially yours pic.twitter.com/C9UuEeMKId
— Dyl (@dhockey13) January 20, 2023
"In Edmonton, the fans understand hockey," said Kostin. "They see all the little things: even if you didn't score or made a mistake, but you gave it your all, they appreciated it. They were the ones who pushed you forward. I wanted to go out and die on the ice for these people, for their emotions."
Klim Kostin says he would love a return to Edmonton to help the Oilers win the Stanley Cup
And of course, he was asked about the biggest motivation of all for a return to Edmonton:
"It would be great to help Connor (McDavid), Leon (Draisaitl) and the whole team win the Cup. They deserve it."
Kostin played his last two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks. In 190 career NHL games, he has 53 points, 481 hits and 169 penalty minutes, averaging 10 minutes of ice time per contest.
Photo: © Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
